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to understand, the word indicating that the 70th year had already been fulfilled according to the word of the Lord through Jeremiah in the first year of Cyrus, as has been shown there according to the writing of Chronicles and Ezra, and that the remaining time from then until the second year of Darius was disputed and was reckoned as neither the complete desolation nor the complete rebuilding; wherefore he also says "until when will you not have mercy on Jerusalem this 70th year" instead of saying "how long will this 70th year be extended that has already passed", and not, as some have supposed, according to some determination of the completion of the number of 70 years from the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple until the 2nd year of Darius to have been spoken by the angel. For without any subtractive or additive invention, there are 83 years from the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar, in which Zedekiah was taken captive with the people and the city of Jerusalem was burned with the people; but from the divine decree which was issued in the 4th year of Jehoiakim against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from which point the seventy-year period is necessarily counted, there are 103 years until the same second year of Darius. But that this was said by the angel not according to a determination of a precise time, but by extension, is evident also from the things said by God to Zechariah after 3 years in the 4th year of the reign of the same Darius on the 4th of the 9th month, Chisleu, literally thus: The word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying: Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying: If you fast or mourn in the fifth or in the seventh months, and behold for 70 years, have you fasted a fast for me? Do you see how the number of 70 years is not taken here according to a precise determination, not even in the 2nd year of Darius, but indicates that which was fulfilled in the first year of Cyrus according to the prophecy of Jeremiah. For how is it possible for the same 70 years to be counted both in the 2nd year of Darius and in the 4th, as has been supposed by some, without error? Darius Hystaspes, the 4th of the Persians, reigned for 36 years. He sent out the fabled myriads against Greece with the generals Datis, the son of Datis, and Saphernes, having been persuaded by the tyrants Hippias the Athenian and Demaratus the Lacedaemonian, who had been exiled from their homes, and then also because of the capture of Sardis by the Athenians, so that those in Asia might not bear the Persian necessity. Then indeed the Persians fare badly at Marathon, with Miltiades and Aristides and Callimachus having commanded well, among whom the tyrant Hippias also falls fighting with the barbarians against the Athenians. But Darius himself, not bearing the suffering, perishes from despondency. In his time, some think the things concerning Gog and Magog, foretold by the great Ezekiel, were fulfilled. For having campaigned with various nations, as they say, he plundered Syria and Phoenicia and the coastal regions, but having come against Jerusalem he was struck down by God, with God smiting him and his host with thunderbolts and plagues and having given the victory without weapons to those in Jerusalem and infinite wealth of spoils, while Zerubbabel was governor over Judea, after whom no other ruled from Judah, but the high priests were the leaders.

296 KINGS OF THE MACEDONIANS Amyntas, the 9th of the Macedonians, reigned for 42 years. Of the

world it was the year 4272. Those who say that Cyrus, the 1st king of the Persians, had reigned for only 9 years say that he began to reign in the time of this Amyntas; but we say it was in the time of Alcetas, the 8th king of the Macedonians, according to the order that follows the divine scripture. Macedonians Alexander, the 10th, reigned for 44 years. And of the world it was the year 5114. In his time was the crossing of Xerxes; he gave water and earth to the Persians. Perdiccas, the 11th of the Macedonians, reigned for 23 years. And of the world it was the year 5158. SPORADICALLY The Naxians, the 15th, ruled the sea for 10 years, and after them the Eretrians, the 16th, for 7 years.

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κατανοῆσαι, δηλοῦντος τοῦ λόγου τὸν οʹ χρόνον ἤδη πεπληρῶσθαι κατὰ τὸν λόγον κυρίου διὰ Ἱερεμίου ἐν τῷ αʹ ἔτει Κύρου, ὡς ἐκεῖσε ἀποδέδεικται κατὰ τὴν τῶν Παραλειπομένων καὶ τοῦ Ἔσδρα γραφήν, τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν ἀπ' ἐκεί νου χρόνον ἕως ἔτους ∆αρείου δευτέρου ἀμφιβαλλόμενον εἶναι καὶ μήτε τῆς τελείας ἐρημώσεως καταλογίζεσθαι μήτε τῆς τελείας ἀνοικοδομῆς· διὸ καί φησιν «ἕως τίνος οὐκ ἐλεήσεις τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος οʹ» ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν «ἕως πότε τὸ οʹ τοῦτο ἔτος παρεκτανθήσεται τὸ ἤδη παρελθόν», καὶ οὐχ, ὥς τινες ὑπειλήφασι κατά τινα προσδιορισ μὸν συμπληρώσεως ἀριθμοῦ τῶν οʹ ἐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς καθαιρέσεως Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ ἕως τοῦ βʹ ἔτους ∆αρείου λελέχθαι παρὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου. Ἄνευ γὰρ πάσης ὑφαιρετικῆς ἢ προσθετικῆς ἐπινοίας πγʹ ἔτη εἰσὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ιθʹ ἔτους Ναβουχοδονόσωρ, ἐν ᾧ Σεδεκίας ᾐχμαλώτευται σὺν τῷ λαῷ καὶ ἡ πόλις Ἱερουσαλὴμ σὺν τῷ λαῷ ἐμπέπρησται· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς θείας ἀποφάσεως τῆς ἐν τῷ δʹ ἔτει Ἰωακεὶμ ἐξενεχθείσῃς κατὰ τῶν κατοικούντων Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὁπόθεν καὶ ὁ ἑβδομηκονταετὴς χρόνος 295 ἀναγκαίως ἀριθμεῖται, ἔτη εἰσὶν ργʹ ἕως τοῦ αὐτοῦ δευτέρου ἔτους ∆αρείου. ὅτι δὲ οὐ κατὰ προσδιορισμὸν ἀκριβοῦς χρόνου, ἀλλὰ κατὰ παρέκτασιν εἴρηται τοῦτο πρὸς τοῦ ἀγγέλου, προφανὲς καὶ ἐκ τῶν μετὰ γʹ ἔτη ἐν τῷ δʹ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ αὐτοῦ ∆αρείου πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν ἐκ θεοῦ λεγομένων τῇ δʹ τοῦ θʹ μηνὸς Χασελεῦ πρὸς λέξιν οὕτως· Ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων πρός με λέγων· εἰπὸν πρὸς πάντα τὸν λαὸν τῆς γῆς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων· ἐὰν νηστεύσητε ἢ κόψησθε ἐν ταῖς πέμπταις ἢ ἐν ταῖς ἑβδόμαις, καὶ ἰδοὺ οʹ ἔτη μὴ νηστείαν ἐνηστεύ σατέ μοι; Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐ κατὰ τὸν ἀκριβῆ προσδιορισμὸν οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ὁ τῶν οʹ ἐτῶν ἀριθμὸς οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ βʹ ἔτει ∆αρείου παρείληπται, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐπὶ πρώτου ἔτους Κύρου πληρωθέντα κατὰ τὴν Ἱερεμίου πρόρρησιν δηλοῖ. πῶς γὰρ δυνατὸν καὶ τῷ βʹ ἔτει ∆αρείου καὶ τῷ δʹ τὰ αὐτὰ οʹ ἔτη καταριθ μεῖσθαι, ὥς τισι νενόμισται, ἀπταίστως; ∆αρεῖος Ὑστάσπου Περσῶν δʹ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη λςʹ. Οὗτος τὰς μυθευομένας κατὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος μυριάδας μετὰ ∆άτιδος ∆ατίου καὶ Σαφέρνους τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐξέπεμψε πεισθεὶς τοῖς τυράννοις Ἱππίᾳ τῷ Ἀθηναίῳ καὶ ∆ημαράτῳ τῷ Λακεδαιμονίῳ διωχθεῖσιν οἴκοθεν, λοιπὸν δὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν Σάρδεων ἅλωσιν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων μὴ καὶ φερόντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τὴν Περσῶν ἀνάγκην. τότε δὴ κακῶς πράττουσιν ἐν Μαραθῶνι Πέρσαι, Μιλτιάδου καὶ Ἀριστείδου καὶ Καλλιμάχου καλῶς ἐστρατηγηκότων, ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ τύραννος Ἱππίας πίπτει μετὰ τῶν βαρβά ρων Ἀθηναίοις μαχόμενος. αὐτὸς δὲ ∆αρεῖος οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τὸ πάθος ἐξ ἀθυμίας ἀπόλλυται. Ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ τινες νομίζουσι τὰ κατὰ τὸν Γὼγ καὶ Μαγὼγ τετελέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου προαγορευθέντα Ἰεζεκιήλ. ἐπιστρατεύσας γὰρ σὺν διαφόροις ἔθνεσιν, ὥς φασι, Συρίαν μὲν καὶ Φοινίκην καὶ τὰς παραθαλασ σίους ἐσκύλευσε, τῇ δὲ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπελθὼν κατεβλήθη θεήλατος, σκηπτοῖς καὶ πληγαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ πατάξαντος αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ πλήθει καὶ νίκην δεδωκότος χωρὶς ὅπλων τοῖς ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ πλοῦτον ἄπειρον λαφύρων, στρατηγοῦντος ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίας τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ, μεθ' ὃν οὐκ ἦρξεν ἄλλος ἐξ Ἰούδα, ἀλλ' οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἡγεμόνευον.

296 ΜΑΚΕ∆ΟΝΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΣ Μακεδόνων θʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀμύντας ἔτη μβʹ. τοῦ

δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δοβʹ. Οἱ λέγοντες Κῦρον τῶν Περσῶν αʹ βασιλέα θʹ ἔτη μόνα βεβασιλευκέναι ἐπὶ τούτου τοῦ Ἀμύντου φασὶν ἦρχθαι τοῦτον βασιλεύειν· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ Ἀλκέτα τοῦ ηʹ βασιλέως Μακεδόνων φαμὲν κατὰ τὴν ἀκόλουθον τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ τάξιν. Μακεδόνων ιʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀλέξανδρος ἔτη μδʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος ειδʹ. Κατὰ τοῦτον ἡ Ξέρξου διάβασις· οὗτος δέδωκε τοῖς Πέρσαις ὕδωρ καὶ γῆν. Μακεδόνων ιαʹ ἐβασίλευσε Περδίκκας ἔτη κγʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος ενηʹ. ΣΠΟΡΑ∆ΗΝ Νάξιοι ἐθαλασσοκράτησαν ιεʹ ἔτη ιʹ, καὶ μετ' αὐτοὺς Ἐρετριεῖς ιςʹ ἔτη ζʹ.